Wegovy Pill Debut 'Fattens' Novo Nordisk's Profit Outlook

Novo Nordisk A/S Sponsored ADR Class B

Novo Nordisk A/S Sponsored ADR Class B

NVO

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Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO) stock is surging on Wednesday after the company raised its fiscal 2026 guidance, driven by increased expectations for GLP-1 product sales.

The weight loss drug maker reported first quarter sales of $15.17 billion (96.82 billion Danish kroner), beating the consensus of $11.13 billion.

Sales jumped 32% at CER, positively impacted by a provision reversal related to the 340B Drug Pricing Program in the U.S.

The company reported adjusted earnings of $1.04 (6.63 Danish kroner), beating the consensus of 87 cents.

First quarter adjusted operating profit decreased by 6% at CER to 32.86 billion Danish kroner, while reported operating profit increased by 65% at CER to 59.62 billion Danish kroner, driven by a provision reversal related to the 340B Drug Pricing Program in the U.S.

Wegovy Pill Sees Strong Launch Momentum

The Wegovy pill, launched in the U.S. in January 2026, recorded rapid uptake. Weekly prescriptions surpassed 200,000 by mid-April, with about 1.3 million prescriptions in the first quarter and over 2 million since launch.

Quarterly sales reached 2.26 billion Danish kroner, aided by pre-launch inventory stocking by wholesalers and telehealth partners.

Pending regulatory approvals, international launches are expected in the second half of 2026.

Wegovy injectable sales reached 20.51 billion Danish kroner, up 26% at CER.

Ozempic sales jumped 32% at CER to 40.48 billion Danish kroner.

Novo Nordisk Outlook Raised On GLP-1 Expectations

“Wegovy is driving a strong start to 2026 for Novo Nordisk, led by the rapid adoption of the Wegovy pill…The strong Wegovy performance, combined with continued growth in International Operations, has led us to raise our 2026 guidance for both adjusted sales and adjusted operating profit,” said Mike Doustdar, president and CEO of Novo Nordisk.

Novo Nordisk raised its fiscal 2026 sales guidance from $40.46 billion-$44.32 billion to $42.39 billion-$46.24 billion compared to the consensus of $45.44 billion.

Adjusted sales and operating profit are now projected to decline between 4% and 12% at CER, excluding the 340B-related impact.

In February, the company expected adjusted sales growth for 2026, which excludes revenue from the reversal of 340B provisions, to be -5% to -13% at CER.

Novo Nordisk Price Action

NVO Price Action: Novo Nordisk shares were up 7.11% at $48.06 during premarket trading Wednesday, according to Benzinga Pro. Over the past month, NVO has gained about 29.9% versus a 10.4% rise in the S&P 500 and is down roughly 7% year-to-date compared to the index’s 5.6% gain.

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